San Francisco Giants' Tim Lincecum bitten by big inning again

CHICAGO -- The end result was the same for the Giants, who are 3-0 with Tim Lincecum on the mound this season. The theme of Lincecum's day was the same, too.

For the second consecutive start, Lincecum had the kind of outing that typified his rough 2012 season. He cruised through most of his day in a 10-7 win over the Chicago Cubs, but his final pitching line was undone by one big inning.

Last Tuesday, the Colorado Rockies scored five second-inning runs when Lincecum suddenly dealt with a bout of wildness, walking three. On Sunday, Lincecum's big inning was the first one. He gave up two-run homers to Starlin Castro and Nate Schierholtz before settling in for four straight scoreless innings.

"He's got to stay out of that crooked number," manager Bruce Bochy said.

Bochy was pleased with Lincecum's stuff and fastball command and wanted to keep him in the game longer than the five innings that Lincecum lasted. But the Giants used pinch-hitter Nick Noonan in the top of the sixth in place of Lincecum, and Noonan had a huge two-run single.

After Schierholtz's homer, Lincecum retired 12 of the next 13 Cubs. David DeJesus and Castro hit back-to-back two-out singles in the fifth, but Lincecum recovered to strike out Anthony Rizzo to end the inning.

"It just comes down to focus and executing the pitches when you need to," Lincecum said. "I'll just roll with these four innings of positives."

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Lincecum, who didn't give up an earned run in his season debut, has been charged with nine total runs in the two big innings of his last two starts but has given up just one run in the other nine innings. He said he would try to build off the rhythm and command that he shows during the good times.

Of course, the bad times count toward an ERA, too, and Lincecum's is at 5.63 after his first three starts. It was a career-high 5.18 in 2012.

"Things were off with the off-speed pitches," he said of Sunday's first inning. "But (my teammates) bailed me out today. It was fun to watch."

On his first extended road trip as a big leaguer, Noonan already has a souvenir. He was given a game ball as a keepsake after a single that gave the Giants the lead and Noonan the first two RBIs of his career.

"He's got a calmness about him," Bochy said. "There was no panic there."

Noonan is 6 for 12 this season with most of the action coming as a pinch-hitter.

George Kontos picked up his third career win in front of plenty of supporters. The Chicago native and Northwestern alum said he had relatives in the rooftop seats surrounding Wrigley Field and had about 40 friends and family members come up and say hello while he was sitting in the bullpen.

"It was very special for me," Kontos said. "To get a win here is something that's going to stick with me for a long time."

Kontos entered with a runner on and no outs in the ninth and got Starlin Castro to hit into a double play before striking out Anthony Rizzo.

"The adrenaline was up there today," he said. "It was a great day, first for the team and secondly for me."

Buster Posey was hitless in the series before a single in the 10th inning. Posey was out of the starting lineup Sunday and entered with Kontos on a double-switch.

Hector Sanchez has been Lincecum's personal catcher this season, and Posey often plays first base during Lincecum's starts, but with an off day Monday, Bochy wanted to get his best player an extended break. Bochy has coupled Posey's rest days with team off days in the past.

"It seems like it does a lot for him," Bochy said. "It lets him catch his breath. I think a couple of days should help him a lot."

Posey is hitting just .231 this season, but the Giants aren't worried about the reigning league MVP.

"With Buster, it's a matter of time," Bochy said. "You saw last year, as the season went along he got better and better. When the weather warms up, so does he."

Schierholtz went 5 for 12 in his first series against his former team.

San Diego Padres outfielder Carlos Quentin dropped his appeal of a suspension for rushing the mound against the Los Angeles Dodgers and will serve an eight-game suspension. That means Quentin will be unavailable when the Padres visit AT&T Park April 19-21.